1. The Mets are making noise about possibly trying to void Francisco Rodriguez’s contract after it was learned he had a torn thumb ligament that, the team claimed, he injured in his altercation with his girlfriend’s father last week.

I would be surprised if the Mets were successful in getting the contract voided. First, teams have not had much success in penalizing players involved in domestic issues. Second, though, was the Mets own behavior in the immediate aftermath of Rodriguez’s attack on the grandfather of his children last week.

That occurred on Wednesday. On Thursday, Jerry Manuel hardly sounded like a man who no longer wanted to associate with Rodriguez. Quite the contrary. With his closer still in police custody and his initial suspension not yet announced, Manuel said he would use K-Rod that day.

On Friday, GM Omar Minaya not only showed no indications he wanted to disassociate with Rodriguez, he insisted he was happy that he had signed the closer. He also called Rodriguez’s transgression a “mistake” and likened it to what occurs with all players on a team over time.

And despite what hard stance it might be trying to portray now, ownership did not initially seek through the proper channels a harsh penalty and/or seek to file a grievance to try to void Rodriguez’s contract.

If an arbitrator ever gets to look at this case, my suspicion is that he will realize that the Mets would want to get rid of K-Rod specifically because they want to get out of his contract, particularly the poison pill of a very attainable vesting option for $17.5 million in 2012. There is nothing in their initial reactions to suggest the organization was appalled by Rodriguez’s behavior and wanted to get out of the contract.

What is more likely to occur is the Mets will go after Rodriguez’s salary for the period that he cannot play due to an injury that they claim was caused during his altercation. That would seem to be a much more winnable case.

2. The Yankees are reeling right now. They are a tired marathoner at mile 21, looking for a finish line that is close, but not yet in sight. They are vulnerable, right now. They are not playing well, coping with injury, dealing with the age-related decline of key components. The Rays have tied them for first place and the Red Sox get Dustin Pedroia back tonight to see if they can make a late run into a playoff spot.

It is moments like these that accentuate an MVP candidacy. And the Yanks truly need for Robinson Cano to go on the kind of kick right now that moves him from a strong contender to the frontrunner, something that bumps him ahead of the current leading man, Texas’ Josh Hamilton.

Cano already is having his best season, already is in the conversation for MVP. But August has not been kind to him so far. He is hitting .231 this month with no homers and two RBIs. His average is down to .322, the lowest it has been on any date this year.

Why do we pick Cano to play the role of hero for the Yanks? Because he is a special player in his prime, something that is hard to find with other Yankee position players. Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez and Lance Berkman have their best seasons disappearing in the rearview mirror. Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner are supplementary pieces.

Cano, still two months shy of his 28th birthday, is in his prime. A-Rod is hurting, and so are Swisher and Berkman. Jeter and Posada are fumes of their former selves.

Only Cano and Mark Teixeira fit the criteria of special Yankees in their prime. And this has looked like Cano’s year. The Yankees sure need it to be that.

3. Jonathon Niese has put together three straight starts of seven innings and one run. Amazingly, he does not have a win (or a loss) in any of those games. And the Mets have only won one of those games, last night’s tilt in Houston.

But in the bigger picture this run by Niese is encouraging because of when it is occurring, late in the season. Yes, Niese missed a month earlier in the season. Still, he is at 133 innings and pitching wonderfully. That bodes well for his future.

The Mets have a lot of issues to address if they want to become a permanent contender. But Niese is not one of them.